After winning Super Bowl XLVII, the Baltimore Ravens made quarterback Joe Flacco one of the highest paid players in the NFL. Looking back on it now, did the front office overpay? This is a big question that many analysts and fans will debate for years to come. The Ravens currently have an 8-6 record and are just hanging on to their Wildcard Playoff spot. So the question stands: has Flacco been worth the money so far?

In the offseason Flacco, who was elected as Super Bowl MVP, signed a six year extension worth $120 million. This deal included a $29 million signing bonus and $52 million in guaranteed money. This deal also influenced a lot of cuts the Ravens had to make, losing veteran players like Ed Reed, Anquan Boldin, Danelle Ellerbe, and Paul Kruger. Because of their losses, a lot of doubt shadowed the Ravens and they were no longer among the favorites at Sports Betting Dime to return to the Super Bowl. At the beginning of the season they were 28/1 to win the Super Bowl, behind Denver, New England, Houston and Cincinnati.

Baltimore’s decision to go all-in on Flacco was reasonable, since he did carry the team to a championship. The team put the weight on Flacco’s back to become their true leader after the departure of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. With that contract, Flacco joined an elite group of players in terms of earnings. For comparison, here’s a list of the top QBs and their salaries for the 2013 season:

Aaron Rodgers: $43 million

Drew Brees: $40 million

Tom Brady: $31 million

Joe Flacco: $30 million

Peyton Manning: $18 million

While Manning and Brady are almost guaranteed to take their respective teams to the Playoffs this year, Flacco and the Ravens are struggling to even stay in. Their last 2 games will be the fight for their lives— their playoff lives. So with expectations extremely high for a $120 million quarterback, it’s reasonable to say Flacco has not lived up to those expectations. At least not yet.

Even though Joe Flacco may never have the numbers comparable to the Manning’s and the Brady’s of this league (Flacco has thrown just 3,238 yards, 18 touchdowns and a career-high 17 interceptions), what he lacks in stats he makes up for with his cool demeanor and knack for winning big games.

So the question will still stand for now, as it’s too early for anyone to tell whether or not Flacco was worth the money. If the franchise quarterback never returns to the big stage for the rest of his career, it can be safe to say he wasn’t worth the money. The only way for Flacco to close this question will be to lead his team to another championship title— which no amount of money can buy. Only time will tell.

What do you guys think? In your opinion, has Flacco been worth the $30 million he’s received for the 2013 season?